The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-07-21
HOW TO SUCCEED.
What May be Accomplished by Enorgy
and Perseverance,.

ana perseverance,
Col. H. W. Pickney, in Dirie, news
paper published at Atlanta, Georgia,
relates the following incidents, which
came under the writer's own observation,
where success trod closely on the heel of
perseverance and industry:
A man can make q living, and also
make money, in hundreds of different
ways in this country, and it is a mighty
good thing that this is 80, else over
production would be the rule, not the
exception. 1 know man who is getting
rich out of baby swings. It's simple,
cheap thing to make and he started in
simple and cheap way to make them, bis
entire outfit of tools comprising two SAWS,
two saw benches, draw shave, two
hand planes, a brace and some bits, a
rough work bench. He didn't stand
around with hands in his pockets waiting
for somebody with capital to come along
and boost him. Not much. He thought
these swings would sell, so be made one
and peddled it round until be found a
purchaser. Then he made another and
sold that, and thus he kept on until
finally people began to think his swings
were good to have in the family, and
they began to inquire for them. He
started eight years ago, and alone did all
the work Of making and selling them.
Things with him are very different to-.
day. He has shop two stories in
height, and machinery for saving, plain.
ing, boring, mortisiug, turning, and
sandpapering the material entering into
the construction of these swings. In that
shop forty men find constant employ.
ment, and, as l said before, the owner is
getting rich out of it. Counting the
wives and children of the workmen in
that shop, there is population Of nearly
or quite one hundred and fifty making a
living out of one mans idea that baby
swing would sell. A baby swing is not
very big thing, but it is in'this case
big enough to keep quite little village
busy and comfortable.
A step ladder is mighty handy thing
to have around the house. Five years
ago three men, by the closest kind Of
scraping, twisting and borrowing, man
aged to get together FIVE hundred dollars.
They bought some lumber, rugged up q
circular. or buzz, rip saw, and started
in to make step ladders. For two years
it was struggle of the hardest kind
sales had TO he made by personal canvass,
prices obtained permitted no margin Of
profit, and the outlook was of such dis.
couraging nature that their friends and
neighbors pitied them first, then Prophe'
sled dead failure, and finally laughed al
their folly in sticking by losing game
There came a change, however. A
prominent house furnishing goods firm
one day wrote them for prices on five
thousand ladders. The size of this pos
sible order very nearly took them of
their feet. They had sense enough
however, to understand that this big
house would not give them the orde,
unless prices were made away down, SC
they sat down and figured the thing over
and having decided that matter, awaited
the result, which turned in their favo,
and they got the order. Then they went
to work; each one took his coat off and
pitched in; they worked sixteen hours
day until that order was filled. and il
was filled on time, and each ladder was
honestly made. The only expense they
realized was for lumber, screws and
paint. They had done all the work
themselves. This was the turning point
in their business career. Within 8
month from the delivery Of these five
thousand ladders they had contracted
with the same house for monthly sup.
ply of two thousand FIVE hundred. They
were on their feet now, and began to
push things. They are turning out to.
day, with fifteen men, ten thousand step
ladders each month, and have been
doing this for more than year. A steE
ladder is a little thing, but these mer
are making money out of them.
About fifteen years ago, in one of the
big planning mills in Chicago, a strip o.
board catching, in some unaccountable
manner, on buzz saw, was hurled with
violence against the leg of one of the
workmen, breaking it and badly mang
ling the flesh. The injury resulted ir
incapaciating the man for performing
the labor required of him in the mill
| and he was compelled to seek othel
| means of livelihood. A man of fine me-
chauical attachments, his endeavors very
naturally sought outlet in that direction
| to be built, after his own ideas, scroll
or fret saw, foot power, and rugged up
seat on it, as he was unable to stand fo
any length of time, and began saving
out and putting together articles TO
household ornament and utility. III
regarded this as simply a temporary
means of making a living. After TIM
he added to his scrool saw light boring
attachment and then little turning
lathe. Then he bought cheap set o
| carver's tools. You see he was looking
out to save labor and to combine origi
nality in the articles be turned out
Time ran along, and almost before b
knew it, he was getting more orders thai
he could, alone, 6ll, so he hired man tt
dress and prepare his materials, lay ou
the patterns, and put the articles
together. Still his orders increased, ant